Dylan started his musical odyssey in 1959 when he began playing in Dinkytown, Minneapolis while attending the University of Minnesota. Shortly after starting to play he changed his stage name to Bob Dylan, after being influenced by the poetry of Dylan Thomas before legally changing his name in 1962.
Much of his best known work is from the 1960s, when he became an informal documentarian and reluctant figurehead of American unrest, promoted by Joan Baez. Some of his songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'", became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements, with Joan Baez and Dylan singing together at the March on Washington in 1963. However he later became disenchanted with the civil liberty protest scene, feeling that he had been used by them.
His album Bringing It All Back Home marked a move away from the folk scene and a move towards rock and roll and Dylan began to consciously distance himself from his early association with civil rights. He also started to become irritated when being interviewed, often given facetious or irreverent answers to questions. Bringing It All Back Home was a controversial album as it the first on which he played electric guitar. This was seen by some of his fans as a betrayal of this folk roots, with some saying that it obscured his meaningful and poetic lyrics.
The second half of the 1960s was marked by a string of well received releases, with his song "Like a Rolling Stone", released in July of 1965, later being named "The Greatest Song of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine in 2004, placing #1 in a list of 500 titles. It also marked the formation of Dylan's backing band The Hawks (who would later call themselves simply The Band). Dylan embarked on a world tour of Australia and Europe in 1966, during which he seemed to be under a lot of strain and pressure by both his fans, the music press and his own promoters. Dylan himself admitted that he began taking drugs seriously whilst on this tour, and found it immensely hard work. On returning to New York he crashed his motorbike, sustaining serious injuries in the process, and went into a period of withdrawal while he recuperated. During the late 1960s, Dylan again changed stylistic tradition, moving away from the psychedelic culture of the time. It was then that he recorded All Along the Watchtower, perhaps more famously recorded by Jimi Hendrix.
The 1970s were a period during which Dylan was more sporadic in his output, releasing some poorly received LPs. He rarely appeared in person until 1974, when he began touring again with his backing band The Band. He also wrote one of his most extensively covered songs, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, as well as what is now recognised as one of his best albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards the end of the 1970s, Dylan discovered Christ, and released some albums of gospel music. He started to talk to the crowd about his faith during his performances, and wouldn't play any of his early work, which alienated some of his previous fans.
Dylan today still remains an influential and popular artist; despite a period of little note between 1980-2000, his 2006 album Modern Times reached the US chart at #1, as did his 2009 album Together Through Life, in the US, Britain, France and several other countries. His 2012 album Tempest was also critically acclaimed. Since 1988, Dylan has been on the so-called Never Ending Tour, during which his performances have provoked controversy, with some critics claiming that his lyrics have become incomprehensible, an experience which is not helped by his tendency to change his set-list and vocals almost every performance.
Bob Dylan's strong influence over the past few years is becoming even more prominent amongst a growing group of younger emerging artists such as George Ellias and Devendra Banhart. Dylan's early lyrics incorporated politics, social commentary, philosophy and literary influences, defying existing pop music conventions and appealing widely to the counterculture of the time. While expanding and personalizing musical styles, Dylan has shown steadfast devotion to traditions of American song, from folk and country/blues to rock and roll and rockabilly, to Gaelic balladry, even jazz, swing and Broadway.
Dylan performs with the guitar, keyboard and harmonica. Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s. He has also recently performed alongside other iconic artists, such as Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty and Eric Clapton. Although his contributions as a performer and recording artist have been central to his career, his songwriting is generally held as his highest accomplishment.
Nobel Prize for Literature (2016) - On October 13, 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. The prestigious award has been given annually since 1901 and previous Nobel Laureates for Literature include Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett. Here is the speech written by Dylan, although unable to attend:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-acceptance-speech.html?_r=0
Two Soldiers
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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His voice was low with pain.
"I'll do your bidding, comrade mine,
If I ride back again.
But if you ride back and I am left,
You'll do as much for me,
Mother, you know, must hear the news,
So write to her tenderly.
"She's waiting at home like a patient saint,
Her fond face pale with woe.
Her heart will be broken when I am gone,
I'll see her soon, I know."
Just then the order came to charge,
For an instance hand touched hand.
They said, "Aye," and away they rode,
That brave and devoted band.
Straight was the track to the top of the hill,
The rebels they shot and shelled,
Plowed furrows of death through the toiling ranks,
And guarded them as they fell.
There soon came a horrible dying yell
From heights that they could not gain,
And those whom doom and death had spared
Rode slowly back again.
But among the dead that were left on the hill
Was the boy with the curly hair.
The tall dark man who rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there.
There's no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
The words that her lover had said.
Momma, you know, awaits the news,
And she'll only know he's dead.
Bob Dylan's song "Two Soldiers" tells the story of two soldiers who are facing the possibility of death in battle. The lyrics reflect the emotional turmoil and inner struggles that many soldiers face during wartime. The blue-eyed Boston boy, who is the singer of the song, expresses his concern for his mother and his looming death. He requests his comrade to write to his mother tenderly and let her know of his death.
The song also captures the bond that forms between soldiers in trying situations. The two men share a moment of mutual understanding before they charge into battle, knowing that one of them may not make it back alive. The devastating outcome of the battle is described in vivid detail, with the rebels plowing "furrows of death" through the soldiers.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant, detailing the heartbreaking aftermath of the battle. The blue-eyed boy lies dead on the hill alongside his comrade, and there is no one left to deliver the news of his demise to his loved ones. The song ends on a tragic note, with the only certainty being the sorrow that will follow in the wake of this loss.
Line by Line Meaning
He was just a blue-eyed Boston boy,
A young boy from Boston, with bright blue eyes.
His voice was low with pain.
As he spoke, his voice was filled with agony and discomfort.
"I'll do your bidding, comrade mine,
He pledged to follow his friend's orders, come what may.
If I ride back again.
Should he return alive from battle.
But if you ride back and I am left,
If his friend were to survive and he did not.
You'll do as much for me,
He asked that his friend honor their friendship and do for him what he would request of him.
Mother, you know, must hear the news,
He knew his mother would be awaiting news of him.
So write to her tenderly.
He asked that someone inform his mother of his fate in a way that would not break her heart entirely.
"She's waiting at home like a patient saint,
His mother was waiting for him at home and felt as though she was in a religious state of grace.
Her fond face pale with woe.
His mother was pale from worrying and waiting for him.
Her heart will be broken when I am gone,
He knew his mother's heart would be broken if he did not return.
I'll see her soon, I know."
Despite his fear, he felt confident that he would be reunited with his mother.
Just then the order came to charge,
They were ordered to advance.
For an instance hand touched hand.
They briefly touched before galloping off to battle.
They said, "Aye," and away they rode,
They agreed and galloped forward.
That brave and devoted band.
A group of loyal and courageous soldiers.
Straight was the track to the top of the hill,
They rode straight up to the top of the hill.
The rebels they shot and shelled,
The enemy was shooting and bombing them.
Plowed furrows of death through the toiling ranks,
The enemy was killing them without mercy.
And guarded them as they fell.
The enemy kept watch over the fallen soldiers.
There soon came a horrible dying yell
There was a sudden and terrible cry of agony.
From heights that they could not gain,
The enemy was positioned in a place they could not reach.
And those whom doom and death had spared
The soldiers who had lived through battle.
Rode slowly back again.
They returned slowly from the battlefield.
But among the dead that were left on the hill
One of the deceased soldiers left on the hill.
Was the boy with the curly hair.
Was the young boy with curly hair.
The tall dark man who rode by his side
The tall dark man who rode alongside him into battle.
Lay dead beside him there.
Was also dead beside him on the hill.
There's no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
No one is left alive to write to the young boy's girlfriend.
The words that her lover had said.
She will never know the exact words he spoke before his death.
Momma, you know, awaits the news,
His mother is still waiting for news of her son.
And she'll only know he's dead.
She will only know that her son did not return from battle.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JULIE MILLER, STEVEN P. MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind